Sunderland Nissan worker dies after testing positive for Covid

Nissan has confirmed a member of staff at the Sunderland plant died last week following a positive Covid-19 test.

A Nissan spokesman said: “Last week a member of our team who had tested positive for Covid-19 sadly passed away.

"We are working closely with, and supporting, his family and work colleagues during this extremely difficult time.”

The death is the first confirmed at the Sunderland plant, which is one of the area’s biggest employers since the start of the pandemic.

Nissan employs around 7,000 people at its Sunderland car plant.

During the first lockdown in March last year, it halted production for nearly three months as its supply chain and sales were affected by the coronavirus crisis. The workforce was placed on the Government’s furlough scheme until production resumed in June.

The news comes as the latest official figures show that Sunderland still has the highest Covid case rate out of seven North East local authorities – ahead of Northumberland, Newcastle, Gateshead, Durham, South Tyneside and North Tyneside.

Sunderland City Council’s public health director Gerry Taylor said she could see ‘no clear reason’ why the infection rate on Wearside was higher than elsewhere in the region but emphasised the need for people to stick to lockdown regulations and social distancing rules.